Caster sleeve



R. HAYDOC K CASTER SLEEVE Jan. 2, 1962 Filed May 7, 1958 3,015,124Patented Jan. 2, 1962 3,015,124 CA'STER SLEEVE Raymond Ha /dock, 6711Lightfoot Ave, Chicago 46, 11]., assrgnor to Raymond Haydock, Chicago,Ill., trustee Filed May 7, 1958, Ser. No. 733,674 2 Claims. (CI. 1643)The present invention relates to a caster such as is adapted for usewith furniture, and more particularly to a sleeve or socket to beinserted in a cavity in a furniture leg for cooperation with such acaster.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel sleeve orsocket for use with a caster having the advantages hereinafter set out,that is of extreme simplicity, being made of an integral piece and henceinexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide such a sleeve or socket that releasablyretains the caster in place in the furniture leg, in an efficientmanner.

A further object is to provide a novel sleeve or socket that transmitsthe weight of the furniture to the associated caster at a single pivotpoint at the upper end of the caster.

A still further object is to provide a sleeve or socket having novel andsimple construction effective for biting into the wood of the furnitureleg with Which it is associated, for retaining it in place therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the sleeve of the invention inassembly with a caster and furniture leg, the latter being shown insection;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the sleeve, taken at right anglesto that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is atop view of the sleeve;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and indicating acaster pintle being inserted therein;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing also a portion of anassociated furniture leg; and

FIG. 7 is a large scale view of the caster pintle.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the new sleeve or socket of theinvention is shown in its entirety at 12, received in a cavity or recess14 in a furniture leg 16. The sleeve is shown in association with acaster 18.

The new sleeve or socket 12 is preferably a single integral piece formedas a stamping of sheet metal doubled to form an upper closed end 2d anddownwardly and longitudinally extending, laterally opposed legs 22. Theupper closed end 29 preferably has a hemispherical or rounded downwardlyextending projection 24 to form a reduced area, or essentially pointcontact support, engagement with the upper end of the pintle 26 of thecaster 18.

It might be pointed out that the caster 18 is of conventionalconstruction including the pintle 26, referred to above, to which issecured a yoke 28 in which is rotatably supported the Wheel 30. Thepintle 26 has a shank 32 with an enlarged head 34 at its upper enddefining a downwardly facing shoulder 36. The shank 32, preferablytapers upwardly slightly, from its lower end to the head 34. The sleeveengages the upper end of the pintle 26, as mentioned above, and in thatmanner transmits the Weight of the furniture leg to the caster. Thecaster is free of vertical support of the furniture leg at all otherpoints.

Each of the legs 22 of the sleeve 1 -2, is generally semicylindrical,and the opposed legs are arranged with their hollow sides facing eachother, defining a slit 38 at each side. The material of which the sleeveis made is of somewhat springy nature, so as to enable the legs to yieldin directions toward and from. each other, and they have a normal restposition slightly spaced apart, i.e., in position to be compressed ormoved toward each other at least a slight amount.

The legs 22 are provided with detents 40 which are preferablydiametrically opposed and are adapted to releasably engage the head 34on the caster pintle and releasably retain the pintle in the sleeve. Thedistance between the detents 40 is slightly less than the diameter ofthe head 34, considering a caster of a given size and in connection withwhich the sleeve is designed to be used. The detents 40 are, of course,spaced from the closed end 20 of the sleeve a suitable distance so as toreceive the head 34 between the detents and the upper end.

Below the detents 40 and adjacent the lower part of the sleeve aretongues or tangs 42 struck from the material of the legs 22. Thesetongues are attached to the legs at their upper ends, and each includesa relatively longitudinal portion 44 at the top leading into a buttportion 46 which extends generally inwardly from the outer surface ofthe sleeve, and finally a pointed projection or extremity 48. Thesetongues are somewhat resilient and are initially positioned with theirouter pointed extremities 48 closely adjacent the outer surface of thelegs and extending generally outwardly, i.e., they have a component oflateral extension. These lower pointed extremities are adapted to bedriven into the material of the furniture leg in response to the pintleof the caster being driven therebetween, as explained fully hereinbelow.

At the lower end of the legs 22 are outwardly directed flanges 50,having smooth upper surfaces, and adapted to engage the lower endsurface of the furniture legs. These flanges, being smooth on theirupper surface are enabled to move laterally relative to the furnitureleg. These flanges function to support the weight of the furniture legand through them to transmit the weight thereof to the caster throughthe upper end of the sleeve and pintle.

In the use of the device, the furniture leg .16 is first provided withthe cavity or recess 14 by a suitable operation such as by drilling. Thecavity is of such selected dimension slightly less than the diameter ofthe sleeve in the normal position of the latter, at least at the lowerend of the sleeve. The sleeve is of generally tubular or cylindricalform, although it may vary from accurate shape, it being understood thatthe legs possess a certain degree of resilience and are capable ofmoving toward and from each other. The sleeve, without the caster, isinserted into the cavity 14 as by driving or hammering it in. Theslightly reduced dimension of the cavity relative to the normal positionof the sleeve, causes the sleeve to contract slightly, and the frictionthus established serves to retain the sleeve in the furniture leg duringfurther operations in placing the caster in the sleeve. The sleeve isdriven in to a position in which the flanges 5G engage the lower end ofthe furniture leg.

The pointed extremities 48, being closely adjacent the outer surfaces ofthe legs 22, as pointed out above, and even extending beyond them, aresubstantially in engagement with the surface of the wall of thefurniture leg defining the cavity 14, or they actually extend slightlythereinto. The caster is then driven into the sleeve as by a driving orhammering operation. In the normal positions of the sleeve and thetongues 42, the butt portions 46 are spaced apart a distancesubstantially less than the diameter of the head 34 of the casterpintle. The pintle and particularly the head 34 thereof in being driveninto the sleeve between the butt portions 45 spreads the latter apartand drives the pointed extremities 48 into the wood of the furnitureleg, to substantially the position shown in FIG. 6. The lateralextension of the pointed extremities 48 serves to direct them into thewood in a generally outward direction, although they extend outwardlyand downwardly and penetrate or bite into the wood in such direction asto render the sleeve impossible of removal short of injury to the sleeveor the furniture leg.

Further driving the caster pintle into the sleeve causes the head 34 topass between and beyond the detents 40 to a position shown in dot-dashlines in FIG. 6. The detents, as mentioned above, are spaced apart adistance slightly less than the diameter of the head 34 and spring apartto enable the head 34 to pass therebetween. Once the head is above thedetents, the detents retain the caster in place under the effect ofnormal forces encountered, such as in handling the furniture, but thecaster may be removed by applying substantially greater external forcethereto, as by pulling the caster by the handor using a suitable tool.The resilience of the detents 40 in spreading apart to permit the head34 to pass therebetween may be provided by the outward springing motionsof the lower end of the legs 22, or of flexibility of the material ofthe legs at any portion between the upper and lower ends. The extent ofmovement apart of the detent 40, as will be understood, is very slight.The diameter of the cavity or recess 14 of the furniture leg isessentially the same as the outside diameter of the sleeve, but it willbe understood that the normal variations or imperfections in thedimensions of thesleeve, and irregularities in the surface of thecavity, permit sufficient flexing of the material of the legs 22 toenable the detents 40 to spread to permit the head 34 to movetherebetween.

The support of the furniture leg is transmitted to the pintle solelythrough the upper end thereof, as stated, and the lower end of thesleeve is spaced above the connecting elements between the pintle andthe fork 28. The rounded hemi-spherical formation of the projection 24in cooperating with the relatively flat upper end surface of the head 34of the pintle forms essentially a point contact with the pintle and as aresult swivelling motion of the pintle, relative to the sleeve, isaided. As a consequence, the caster is enabled to swivel freely aboutthe axis of the pintle in the castering movements.

The smooth upper surface of the flanges 50 enables the sleeve to be usedwith a furniture leg of relatively small dimensions, compared with mostknown and older types of corresponding devices, such as members providedwith teeth for biting into the lower end surface of the furniture leg.The lower ends of the legs 22 of the sleeve are enabled to movelaterally toward and from each other when in position in the furnitureleg, without adversely affecting any of the elements of the sleeve andassociated members, or affecting the holding function of the sleeve.More particularly the relative movement of the legs 22 toward and fromeach other does not in any way affect the holding function of thetongues 42. Moreover, the shank 32 of the pintle operates to prevent thetongues from withdrawing from the wood of the furniture leg as will beseen from the relative positions of these elements in FIG. 6.

The sleeve being made of a single integral piece works for extremesimplicity and consequent low cost both in materials and in methods ofmanufacture.

While I have shown herein a certain preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that changes may be made therein withinthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a caster sleeve and a caster, the caster including apintle having an enlarged head and the pintle being adapted forinsertion in the sleeve, the sleeve being made of a single integralstamping of generally tubular form and having a closed upper end anddownwardly and longitudinally extending legs, said upper end having adownwardly extending spherical projection for engagement with the upperend of the pintle when inserted in the sleeve, said legs each beinggenerally semicylindrical and having their hollow sides facing eachother and defining slits extending from adjacent the closed upper end toand through the lower end whereby the legs are separate and the lowerends thereof are capable of moving toward and from each other, said legshaving a normal position in which they diverge downwardly at leastslightly and the lower ends thereof are spaced apart at least slightly,said legs having adjacent their upper ends inwardly extending detentsfor releasably retaining the head of the pintle when the latter isinserted in the sleeve, said legs having opposed downwardly extendingtongues struck therefrom, the tongues having pointed free ends extendinggenerally laterally outwardly with their pointed extremities closelyadjacent the outer surfaces of the legs, and the tongues havinggenerally inwardly directed butt portions projecting inwardly beyond theinner surfaces of the legs adapted to be driven generally outwardly,the'head of the pintle being of a diameter greater than the spacebetween the butt portions and operative for driving the pointedextremities into the material of a furniture leg in which the sleeve isinserted, in response to passage of the head between the butt portions,said legs having outwardly extending flanges at their lower ends forengagement with and supporting the furniture leg in which it isinserted, said flanges having smooth upper surfaces whereby to enablelateral sliding movement of the flanges relative to the furniture legwhile in friction engagement therewith.

2. The invention set out in claim 1 in combination with a furniture leghaving a cavity receiving the sleeve which is of such diameter that thesleeve is slightly compressed at the lower end relative to its saidnormal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS436,308 Diss Sept. 9, 1890 652,426 Clark June 26, 1900 855,403 Howe May28, 1907 1,426,494 Noelting Aug. 22, 1922 1,466,531 Johnson Aug. 28,1923 1,649,528 Herold Nov. 25, 1927 1,912,795 Rice June 6, 1933

